Bait casting apparatus



March 9, 1965 M. ANDIS BAIT CASTING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 28, 1959 United States Patent "ice 3,172,226 BAIT CASTING APPARATUS Mathew Andis, Racine, Wis., assiguor to Andisflhpper Co., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Original application Oct. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 849,212, now

Patent No. 3,108,583, dated Oct. 29, 1963. Divided and this application Dec. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 242,218

3 Claims. (CI. 43-19) This invention relates to bait casting apparatus.

The device of the present invention is particularly useful in projecting a bait in surf fishing and the like. A number of people desirous of engaging in the sport are incapable of handling the heavy equipment normally required.

The frame member of the present device is composed of barrel and stock portions. A spinning reel of a wellknown type is secured to the stock portion. A cup is slidable on a track on the barrel. Thrust for the propulsion of the cup is provided by elastic slings connected therewith. A weight attached to the line on the spinning reel is dropped into the cup and the cup is cocked to store energy which can be released by a trigger mechanism. Upon release the cup will slide the length of the track until suddenly stopped by a cup arrester, hurtling the lead weight and the line and an attached lure a considerable distance. A separate elastic sling opposed to the cup propelling slings is slack when the cup is cocked and becomes tensioned either to stop the cup or to minimize shock when the cup reaches the end of its run.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section through the end of the barrel showing a detail of the sling fastening device.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in section on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the barrel showing the detent and trigger mechanism, parts being in section.

Handle or stock 22 supports a barrel'portion 24 which has a longitudinal T-slot 36 constituting a way or track on which the cup 34 is guided for movement longitudinally of the barrel.

The arm 40 which extends rearwardly from the cup 34 is used as a handle for cup manipulation in cocking and also provides an anchorage for wires .57 which may be selectively engaged in grooves 44 of the arm 40 and serve to connect to the cup one or more of the elastic slings 116. The number of slings used will depend on the degree of tension desired. These slings have their central portions passed about a block or head 114 at the front end of the barrel which is provided with a channel 110 to receive them. A retaining cover 118 partially encircles the channel 110 to retain the central portions of the slings in position. When more than one sling 116 is provided, the different slings preferably vary in length as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

In a protruding portion at the side of the rear end of barrel 24 is a pivotally mounted pawl 84 having a release finger 86 and a detent 88, and a trigger 94 pivotally mounted in engagement with pawl 84. A series of teeth 90 are provided in the face of the back end of cup slide 40 with which detent 88 may be selectively engaged. Pawl 84 is biased by spring 92 to continuously force detent 88 into engagement with teeth 90. The trigger 94 has an extending finger 96 thereon to engage release finger 86 of pawl 84. When cup slide 40 is cocked, detent 88 of pawl 84 is engaged with teeth 90.

3,172,226 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 The reel 26 hangs from handle 22 in a position to pay out the line 28; A support 115 at the forward end of the barrel loosely positions the line. The bait 30 attached to the line hangs free of the barrel 24 but the line continues beyond the bait and is provided with a weight 32 engaged in the cup 34 when the cup is cocked.

Pressure by the operator on trigger 94 will release the cup by forcing finger 96 upwardly against finger 86 of pawl 84 in opposition to spring 92 thereby releasing detent 88 from teeth 90.

Thereupon the cup is projected sharply forwardly along the T-slot 36 under the tension of the elastic sling or slings 116. Near the end of the way the cup is sharply arrested but the momentum of the weight 32 carries the line 28 forwardly, pulling the bait 30 with it as the line 38 is paid out from the reel 26.

The arresting of the cup may be accomplished by its encounter with a rubber arrester block 128. However, under normal conditions the cup may never strike the block 128 since its movement is sharply arrested when the elastic, reversely acting cup arresting sling 119 becomes tensioned during the advance of the cup.

This application is a division of application 849,212 entitled Projectile Launcher and filed October 28, 1959 now matured as US. Patent No. 3,108,583, issued October 29, 1963.

I claim:

1. A bait casting apparatus for launching a Weight on a baited line, said apparatus comprising a stock having a barrel extending therefrom, said barrel having a track thereon, a weight-launching cup mounted on said track for travel longitudinally of the barrel, energy-storing means for propelling the cup, a cocking detent for said cup including a trigger release mechanism, and a cuparresting means for stopping said cup after it has traveled along said track, for the discharge of said weight, said arresting means comprising an elastic strap connected to the barrel and to the cup and of such length as to be slack when the barrel is cocked and to be subjected to tension after predetermined travel of the cup along said track, whereby said cup is abruptly stopped as said strap reaches its limit of tension.

2. A bait caster comprising a handle portion, a barrel portion connected with the handle portion and having means for providing a way, a cup slidably mounted in the way, a transversely channeled head at the front end of the barrel portion, elastic sling means mounted on the channeled head and connected with said cup and adapted to be tensioned as said cup is retracted in said way, detent means for releasably holding said cup cocked at the rear of the way, a trigger engaged with said detent means for effecting release thereof, a reel connected with the handle portion, a line on the reel provided with a weight receivable in the cup and with a bait to be thrown with said weight and said line when the weight is projected upon the release of the cup from its cocked position, and means for arresting the cup at the forward end of the way for projecting the weight and bait, the arresting means comprising an elastic sling connected with the barrel and the cup and extending rearwardly from the cup, said sling being substantially free from tension in the cocked position of the cup and being tensioned as the cup approaches the end of the way.

3. A bait caster comprising a handle portion, a barrel portion connected with the handle portion and having means for providing a way, a cup slidably mounted in the way, a transversely channeled head at the front end of the barrel portion, elastic sling means mounted on the channeled head and connected with said cup and adapted to be tensioned as said cup is retracted in said way, detent means for releasably holding said cup cocked at the rear of the way, a trigger engaged with said detent means for efiecting release thereof, a reel connected with the handle portion, a line on the reel provided with a weight receivable in the cup and with a bait to be thrown with said weight and said line when the weight is projected upon the release of the cup from its cocked position, and means for arresting the cup at the forward end of the way for projecting the weight and bait, the arresting means comprising a resilient block disposed adjacent the front of the barrel in the path of movement of the cup and an elastic sling connected with the cup and extending rearwardly therefrom and connected with the barrel, the sling being substantially free from tension in the cocked position of the cup and being tensioned as the cup approachessaid block.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 267,679 11/82 Crandall 12417 2,305,176 12/42 Littman 43-19 2,529,901 11/50 Behrens 4319 XR 2,569,604 10/51 Hall 43--19 10 2,645,218 7/53 Fisher 43-19 XR ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

F. RAY CHAPPELL, Examiner. 

1. A BAIT CASTING APPARATUS FOR LAUCHING A WEIGHT ON A BAITED LINE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A STOCK HAVING A BARREL EXTENDING THEREFROM, SAID BARREL HAVING A TRACK THEREON, A WEIGHT-LAUNCHING CUP MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK FOR TRAVEL LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BARREL, ENERGY-STORING MEANS FOR PROPELLING THE CUP, A COCKING DETENT FOR SAID CUP INCLUDING A TRIGGER RELEASE MECHANISM, AND A CUPARRESTING MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID CUP AFTER IT HAS TRAVELED ALONG SAID TRACK, FOR THE DISCHARGE OF SAID WEIGHT, SAID ARRESTING MANS COMPRISING AN ELASTIC STRAP CONNECTED TO THE BARREL AND TO THE CUP AND OF SUCH LENGTH AS TO BE SLACK WHEN THE BARREL IS COCKED AND TO BE SUBJECTED TO TENSION AFTER PREDETERMINED TRAVEL OF THE CUP ALONG SAID TRACK, WHEREBY SAID CUP IS ABRUPTLY STOPPED AS SAID STRAP REACHES ITS LIMIT OF TENSION. 